Document WO 2005/042287 discloses a unit of first and second rear doors for a motor vehicle, respectively comprising first and second tailgates. In that unit, the second door carries the first tailgate. The term “tailgate” is used to mean an element situated behind the roof or the floor of the motor vehicle, for uncovering access to the inside of the motor vehicle by being opened towards the top portion of the vehicle.
The first door has hinges fastened to the top portion of the second door with the main pivot axis thereof being parallel to a transverse direction of the vehicle. Those hinges are fastened to the first tailgate and to the second door and they form hinge means for hinging the first tailgate relative to the second door. Those hinges enable the tailgate to pivot relative to the second door about a first main pivot axis of the hinge means.
The first tailgate is movable between an open position in which it uncovers at least part of an access to the inside of the vehicle, and a closed position in which it shuts said access. This access is defined by an opening formed in the second door.
For practical reasons, it is desirable for the access to be as large as possible.
Although smaller than the second tailgate, the first tailgate nevertheless presents dimensions that are relatively large in order to provide access that is relatively large. During opening and closing of the first tailgate, these large dimensions give rise to a large amount of space being occupied in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, firstly because of the path followed by the first tailgate as it pivots relative to the body of the vehicle, and secondly by the extension to the vehicle that is formed by the first tailgate when in its open position. This occupation of longitudinal space is particularly penalizing when the first tailgate is close to and facing a wall or another vehicle.